NaBloPoMo 2015: Day 15 "Just keep swimming"

#19 Reach my Nike Fuelgoal of 3,000 fuel points every day for a week

I MADE IT.

Hoo boy, was this challenge...challenging.

During the week when I was at work, I barely made any fuel points while teaching, so I would get home late after meetings and dinners and dance like a mad woman to The Fitness Marshall YouTube videos, trying to hit my goal before midnight. EXHAUSTING.

(I took photos of all of my goal celebrations on the fuel band, but have currently misplaced them. Womp Womp.)

I was thrilled that I actually - amazingly- made it thru this goal, but also ecstatic to have it behind me, haha. The weekend was the only easy part, since I went hiking and very quickly achieved the fuelpoint goal.

Fitness it always the goal, though, more than a number or target, and that's why I love the fuelband. It's a reminder to stay active, even if only through simple arm movements. It's also a super schwanky looking watch!

Carpe calories,

A

NaBloPoMo 2015: Day 14 "I'll be back"

#21 Watch the Terminator movies

I guess you could say the Terminator movies almost fall into the "classic film" category, they've been so canonized into our lexicon and cultural consciousness. But somehow I had never watched them. Unfortunately, I did actually watch the most recent reboot ("Terminator: Genisys") before watching any of the originals, which was a very bizarre way to do it.

Survey says?: I had so much fun watching life breathed into lines I've quoted so many times. And you guys - I was so very behind! I knew so little! I was gobsmacked to discover that the terminator is BAD in the first movie. Obviously I knew "I'll be back" but had no idea of the hilarious context (what a moment!) Same with "hasta la vista."

Adam watched the first 2 with me, and swears that there's no reason for me to continue watching. Soooo, I'm saying NO to the crappy sequels and considering this one done!

Carpe robot,

A

NaBloPoMo 2015: Day 13 "Presence is a present"

#11 Give yoga/meditation a real shot

This has been a pivotal event for me: I was walking to work, and when my crosswalk guide turned green, multiple cars streamed through the zebra stripes, seemingly caring zip about the people trying to get across.

I felt such frustration at them for behaving unsafely and endangering everyone that I slapped the tail of one car as it fled merrily away.

I felt immediate shame. What if my boss had been at the stoplight, and watched me do that? Or a coworker? Or a friend? Or anyone, really.

And a seed was planted deep: I don't want to be a person who gets angry over something as small as a car.

So I've started taking a moment in bed every morning, after giving Boo Thang a good morning kiss, but before everything really starts, and just asking myself two questions: 1. What kind of person do I want to be today? 2. What is actually important/meaningful? It's a focusing moment, and has already made my days lighter and better.

But to truly satisfy this "30 item" I went online and found several "meditation for beginners" YouTube videos. I tried a different video each morning for about 5 days. And I enjoyed it (some videos more than others), and even found it to be helpful for my attitude and posture and breathing throughout the day.

But after those 5 days, I left off practicing and honestly didn't miss it either. A strong case could be made that I didn't actually give it enough time or effort, but I'm satisfied regardless. Maybe I'll take it up again in the future, maybe not!

Until then, carpe breathing!

A

NaBloPoMo 2015: Day 12 "Shutterbug"

#9 Learn how to take quality pictures

Here's the  problem:

I learned. I read up on blogs and websites and got the basic principles of photography down.

But I am terrible about practicing what I've learned! Nature and real life just doesn't easily line up for me. I see something I like and then try to force it into the rule of thirds or vanishing perspectives or whatever, instead of seeing THOSE RULES in nature, and capturing them.

My point is, you've also got to have an eye.

Obviously, you can cultivate and develop that eye, like a muscle. But it's not one I think I've ever naturally possessed. I'm excellent as an admirer - if you give me enough time with any bit of art, I think I can even extrapolate and find meaning where there truly exists none, ha.

But my eye doesn't bend and pause over camera frame moments.

Or so it seems! It was interesting to learn the basic techniques of framing and such, and I'm sure I'll keep them in mind, but I'm not going to let myself obsess over getting a "perfect shot" either.

What I will change is my photo volume. Before snapping a photo with my iPhone, ask myself "what am I going to do with this shot?" Is it for a personal collection somewhere? To share with a friend? Or is it just that click-happy impulse that leads to hundreds of unnecessary photos sitting in folders on my hard drive? If the latter, then maybe I don't need to take the photo in the first place and instead just enjoy the view or thing for what it is.

Carpe foto,

A

NaBloPoMo 2015: Day 11 "Aqua vitae"

#7 Drink more water

This is a challenge I keep winning and losing, day on and day off.
I tried labeling a water bottle with how much to drink by certain times, but just couldn't seem to get on top of it in the morning - likely due to my tea-drinking habit. (Tea's not bad, but water's better.) This will just hav to be an ongoing challenge, methinks!

Carpe acqua,

A

NaBloPoMo 2015: Day 8 "Shaken, Not Stirred"

#1 Learn to make a mixed drink/cocktail

This was so fun. I'm not very comfortable/confident handling alcohol unless it comes in a wine bottle, simply from lack of experience. I don't know what goes into a lot of drinks, and when we had Adam's last birthday, I ended up with some random alcoholic extras because I didn't know what to buy!

Fortunately for me, I know some really cool people. The bartender at my favorite expat restaurant here in Gwangju agreed to let me come by on a slow Tuesday night and he taught me some recipes and let me try to make some drinks.

I learned that you pour and measure by seconds, that drinks are typically stronger in restaurants,that foam on beer means it's healthy, and I got drink recipes for 6 beverages!

This was one of my most fun challenges so far, I have to say.

Cheers!

Anna

p.s. Today, at brunch with my sister and hubby, I said NO to an acquaintance who asked to join us at our table. Politely and apologetically, of course, but I didn't want to share my sister, and I knew it would be an awkward interval because I didn't know the woman very well in the first place. Both sis and hubbs declared themselves impressed with my firmness, and applauded my action. But my heart hurt a little for the woman who then went and ate alone before going off to her play rehearsal. I think the downside to being a strong woman capable of saying no is having to watch others take rejection.

NaBloPoMo 2015: Day 1 "30 Before 30"

Na(tional)Blo(g)Po(sting)Mo(nth), we meet yet again!

Another year, another go at writing one blog post per day for the month of November! I may not have quite crossed the finish line last year, but never fear! I shan't let that prevent me from trying again (...and again and again...).

This year, my content is pre-determined. Sometime around May (I think? June?...March?...), I decided to do a "30 Before 30" challenge: 30 things I wanted to accomplish before my 30th birthday, which was 1 week ago on October 25th. Age is just a number, I know, but 30 still sounded somewhat intimidating. Having a challenge actually made it feel...Fun. I looked through a lot of other people's lists, and quickly realized that most of the "typical" list items I'd either already done (skydive, have a dinner party, fall in love, etc) or there was no way I would be able to do before October (see the Taj Mahal, for example) So I came up with the following list, focusing more on self-improvement and smaller, missed experiences:

✔️1. Learn to make a mixed drink/cocktail

✔️2. Do my hair every day for a week

✔️3. Climb the highest mountain in South Korea

✔️4. Run a half-marathon or 5K

✔️5. Write 30 handwritten letters

✔️6. Be able to do a full split

✔️7. Drink more water

✔️8. Take a pottery class

✔️9. Learn how to take quality pictures

✔️10. Play hooky from work

✔️11. Give yoga/meditation a real shot

✔️12. Improve my posture

✔️13. Learn how to tastefully apply makeup (professional quality)

14. Watch 30 classic films

✔️15. Read 30 books

16. Fix violin strings and start practicing again

✔️17. Finish a coursera online course

✔️18. Do tequila shots

✔️19. Reach my fuel goal of 3,000 nike fuel points every day for a week

✔️20. Try a new food

✔️21. Watch the Terminator movies

22. Paint a picture 

✔️23. Memorize the cyrillic alphabet

✔️24. Do 30 days of happy on instagram

✔️25. Go to a legit wine tasting

✔️26.  Start a website/blog for my new business

✔️27. Unplug for a full weekend

✔️28. Up my Korean language study game

✔️29. Set a morning routine

✔️30. Call my grandma regularly

I finished all but three, and had a blast doing it! The list is in no particular order, by the by, and I'm planning to write one blog post about every item on the list - even the 3 as-yet undone items (in bold). And thus is the NaBloPoMo plan unveiled.

For today? #4 "Run a half-marathon or 5k." Possibly the first thing I accomplished on my list! 6 months ago, my friend Sujeong and I ran a 5K together. It was rather empowering to realize that even with zero training (not recommended, of course) I could run a flat 5K without breaks. 

It made both of us want to race again, but then MERS panic took over Korea, and everything got canceled! Womp womp. The race urge has passed, now, but I'm glad I did it. If/when I get back to a house with a lovely neighborhood or nearby park to run in, I might pick it up again. 

Post-race with our fancy medals: barely broke a sweat! ;)

If you're reading this in your email inbox, click to follow the link through to my actual blog site, pretty please! That way I'll know you checked in on me. Thanks for reading!

Thirtily,

Anna

p.s. For the first time, I've "signed up" for NaBloPoMo on THIS website. If you're also doing NaBloPoMo, or NaNoWriMo, let me know! I'd love to follow along!